title: Marseillevirus-like virus recovered from blood donated by asymptomatic humans.
abstract: The study of the human virome is still in its infancy, especially with regard to the viral content of the blood of people who are apparently disease free. In this study, the genome of a new giant virus that is related to the amoeba-infecting pathogen Marseillevirus was recovered from donated blood, using high-throughput sequencing. Viral antigens were identified by an immunoconversion assay. The virus was visualized with transmission electron microscopy and fluorescence in situ hybridization and was grown in human T lymphocytes. Specific antibody reactions were used to identify viral proteins in blood specimens from polymerase chain reactive-positive donors. Finally, we tested 20 blood specimens from additional donors. Three had antibodies directed against this virus, and 2 had circulating viral DNA. This study shows that giant viruses, which are missed by the use of ultrafilters, are part of the human blood virome. The putative pathogenic role of giant viruses in humans remains undefined.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Émergentes, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, INSERM 1095, France.
authors.forename: Nikolay
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Popgeorgiev
authors.forename: Mickaël
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boyer
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fancello
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Monteil
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Robert
authors.forename: Romain
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rivet
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nappez
authors.forename: Said
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Azza
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chiaroni
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raoult
authors.forename: Christelle
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Desnues
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases; D001769:Blood / Q000821:virology*; D001782:Blood Donors; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D004267:DNA Viruses / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008297:Male; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology; D014771:Virion / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral
keywords: Marseillevirus; blood virome; giant viruses; viral metagenomics